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Even common injuries from car crashes can be serious

On behalf of Law Office of J. Patrick Henry on Friday, December 7, 2018.

Like others here in Tennessee, you would probably count yourself lucky for walking away from a car crash. Even if it was a relatively minor accident, you may think that it could have been much worse. You may not even feel as though you suffered any serious injuries.

Under these circumstances, you may decide to forgo medical attention, which could be a mistake. The most common injuries suffered in car accidents can also be the most serious, and if you fail to get examined by a doctor in the immediate aftermath of the crash, you could make your injuries worse or not realize just how much danger your life is in.

These injuries happen most often

The following injuries make up the most often complained of after a car accident:

A neck injury such as whiplash may not seem that serious, but it could indicate a more serious injury such as a spinal cord injury or a traumatic brain injury. You should take any pain in your neck seriously and go to the doctor.

Back injuries could also indicate a spinal cord injury. These injuries also tend to linger -- sometimes for a lifetime.

Chest injuries from the seatbelt, airbag or steering wheel could actually indicate internal bleeding or damage to your organs. Ignoring pain in your chest could be deadly.

Head injuries can cause anything from a mild concussion to a serious traumatic brain injury that leaves you with brain damage. Even if you didn't hit your head on anything that you know of or don't have any visual signs of injury, you could suffer from a closed head injury.

Adrenalin can mask the severity of any of these injuries. For this reason, people often say that you will hurt more the next day than you do in the minutes and hours after an accident. Your body's natural responses take over during the crisis in order to protect you, but those responses can also keep you from understanding just how seriously hurt you are. Suffering injuries in the real world isn't always like it is in the movies or on television.

You could walk away from an accident and end up in an emergency room hours or days later with life-threatening injuries. You may want to go ahead and see a doctor after an accident even if the impact didn't seem serious and you walked away from the scene. Not only could it save your life, but it could also help provide you with the medical evidence you need when you file a personal injury claim against the at-fault driver.

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